U.S. Pat. No. 4,479,446, entitled "Sewing Machine System Having Automatic Identification and Processing of Mounted Work", issuing on Oct. 30, 1984, discloses a system for processing work mounted within coded pallets. The system identifies the coded pallets by optically sensing encodings appearing on the pallets. The system furthermore allows the operator to assign a particular stitch pattern to each thus identified pallet. This stitch pattern will thereafter be automatically sewn each time the particular pallet code is sensed by the system.
The assignment of a particular stitch pattern is facilitated through certain interactive communications between the system and the operator. These include a request by the system for the operator to make a stitch pattern assignment in the event that a particularly coded pallet is presented to the system for the first time. The operator must thereafter identify a stitch pattern to the system by typing in a two digit number. The system checks to see if the number is meaningful or valid before accepting the particular numerical assignment. The system thereafter uses the numerical assignment to access the stored instructions defining the stitch pattern. These instructions are preferably stored in a randomly addressable memory.
It is to be appreciated that the above described system is only as good as an operator's ability to use the abstract numbering system which identifies stitch patterns. This will at the least require specific knowledge by the operator as to which stored stitch pattern number is to be selected for each identified piece of work held within a coded pallet.
It would be preferable if the operator were able to simply identify a particular piece of work within a pallet according to his or her own frame of reference and to have the system perform the necessary correlation of this identification to the stitch patterns stored in memory. In this regard, most sewing machine operators in the apparel and shoe manufacturing businesses are accustomed to identifying work in process by a size numbering system. For instance, the machine operator would normally recognize a size fifteen shirt or a size seven and one-half shoe. It would hence be preferable if such a numbering system could be used by the operator in assigning stitch patterns.